First published 2008
Allan Lichtman examines nearly a century of American conservative politics, challenging the common belief that modern conservatism started with Barry Goldwater. Instead, he traces its origins back to the 1920s. The American University professor spent a decade researching this comprehensive history of the conservative movement. He profiles key figures including Charles Lindbergh, Newt Gingrich, Jack Abramoff, Strom Thurmond, Phyllis Schlafly, and Bill Kristol, alongside behind-the-scenes operators like financiers Frank Gannett and J. Howard Pew. Lichtman reveals the strategies conservatives have employed across generations to influence policy and culture, limit liberal government expansion, and construct an extensive network of media, fundraising, and intellectual institutions. The book offers readers insight into the tactics and personalities that shaped American conservative politics over the past century.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes
Period: 1920s, 20th-century, 21st-century
560 pages · Hardcover · Atlantic Monthly Press